Tramadol

[Guest ss556]

I just picked up Tramadol 50 mg. tablets (I believe). I was told to give Alan two tablets - 2 to 3 times a day. I gave him one tablet today and he seems sleepy. Can you share with me some of the effects of tramadol and side effects, if any? This is new to me.

[krissn333]

I don't know a LOT about tramadol, but when Pinky hurt her leg, they put her on 75mg of tramadol every 8 hours for a couple of days. She's about 62lbs. It really just helped her relax. 100mg, to me, seems like a lot. If he's really in pain and needs it, then that's not too much I suppose.

 

Don't quote me on this, but I think I've read that tramadol acts like an opiate without actually being one. I haven't read anything about many side effects at all, I think this is why so many vets are going this route instead of using other pain relief like morphine. It's also safe to give with most medications.

 

Edited to say I am not terribly surprised if he seems sleepy, but if a lighter dose will give him the pain control he needs without making him sleepy, I would do that. I did not notice Pinky seeming any sleepier than normal when she was on it (of course all she does is sleep anyway so maybe I just couldn't tell )

Edited April 19, 2008 by krissn333

[RobinM]

Tramadol is a painkiller. Why is Alan on it? Like any pain med, there is a side effect of possible drowsiness. Normal.

Polli, who weighs 30 pounds less than Alan was on 1-2 times a day.

[CaliforniaGreys]

One of my boys was on 100mg twice a day for a neck injury. I didn't notice any side effects but just like us, every dog is different. Hoping Alan feels better soon

[ShantisMom]

Shanti is on it. 2 tablets 2x a day. It might make her a bit drowsy, but she is like it anyway.

 

Just a FYI, Walmart has it cheap! I get 120 tablets for $8. It is about $45 at the vets.

[Guest SoulsMom]

Soul was on it when he hurt his leg. He was less active, but not "sleepy", if that makes sense . . . .I was never able to discern if it was due to the tramadol or because he was just taking it easy on the leg

[Guest TBSFlame]

Beecher was on 2 tabs 3 times a day at the end. He started at 1 3xday. I noticed no side effects but Beecher was known for his ability to sleep anyway.

[Guest CyndiW]

Mine are usually prescribed 1.5 pills (75mg) twice a day but they are always tell me to up it 25mg if it doesn't seem like enough or drop it 25mg if they are too drowsy on it. I think each dog reacts so differently to it regardless of weight so they try to pick an average amount for your dog's weight and then you can go up or down as needed. 100mg seems like the max for Alan so maybe if he continues to be a zombie from it then you can talk to your vet about giving 50 or 75.

[Guest Tiz3]

Lily has been on it for pain after a toe amputation. The vet said it would help with the pain and help keep her quiet. I hope it is helping with the pain, but it sure isn't helping to keep her quiet. How do you keep a greyhound quiet?

[Guest HeatherDemps]

Dempsey was on this before his amputation and I was told I could give him quite a high dose- I think up to 2 pills three times a day. It used to make him zone out a bit. After his surgery, he was still on it and he started getting restless on it. He then also started acting like he had a UTI- needing to go outside every 30-45 minutes and having accidents in the house. Once the med was discontinued, he returned to normal. The peeing part didn't start though til after he had been on it awhile and we had upped the dose.

[Guest greytkidsmom]

Drowsiness is a possible side effect. You can play with the dose like previous posters have suggested to try to get a balance of pain control with less sedation. The nice thing about tramadol is that it does not affect the kidneys like rimadyl can.

[GreytNut]

Argus was on it for osteosarcoma. He started at 2 50mg tablets a day and by the end he got 16 tablets a day. It never did appear to make him sleepy, not even at the extremely high dose.

 

You have enough latitude with Tramadol that you can adjust the dose up or down if you need to, but do check with your vet first.

[PatricksMom]

I haven't noticed any side effects at 200mg/day, but it is certainly possible--I belief it is a mild opiate.

[Guest ss556]

Thanks for the info. I think one pill is enough. I will be speaking to the vet Mon. or Tues. and see how long he really has to take it. Seems like a lot of greys were taking it for really severe pain. Alan has pain in the rear legs & back area, and since he fell yesterday, the vet prescribed it. I don't believe I will give it to him long term, unless really necessary.

[Guest greyttech]

Just FYI - you should not give Tramadol to a dog that is on prozac (fluoxitine) because of drug interactions.

 

Hope Alan starts to feel better soon!

[Guest MZH]

Tramadol is probably one of the safest pain relievers around, so try not to worry about overdosing. I too was worried about giving too much to Cullen, but when I saw how much good it did in just a day or two, I quit worrying. He has lower back and other hind end issues.

 

One pill causing Alan to be a zombie is pretty unusual though. Maybe he's just so glad to have less pain that he just looks that way? But yes, a talk with your vet is a good idea.

 

A search on tramadol will give you lots of info on side effects and other stuff. We never had any issues with it. My dog and I have both taken it and I've found it's really an easy to tolerate medication that nicely smooths out moderate pain.

Edited April 20, 2008 by MZH

[GeorgeofNE]

That seems like a lot to me, because I take Tramadol for my arthritis. I take 50 mg 3-4 times a day. It doesn't make me drowsy in the least. In fact, one of the great things about it is it doesn't make me feel any different--I'm just not in (as much) pain!

 

I know some drugs we use for dogs they actually take a higher dose than we do--so if that's what your vet prescribed, I guess that's the right dose!

[Guest greyfiend]

Our Greyhound was just on Tramadol for a bit (skin tear with 4 stitches). Vet said he liked to "go lightly" with Greys and gave 50 mg. once per day. OUr dog is 82 lbs. and he was very sleepy on it so I cut it in half and gave in morning and evening and it took care of the pain, but didn't cause him to zonk out. That dose sounds like a lot to me. You could try at a lesser dose at the same frequency and see if the pain is controlled.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

I take tramadol (also for arthritis and nerve pain) and I do remember when I first started out a couple years ago, being slightly drowsy with the first few doses. After that, no drowsiness or wonkiness at all; I can take it durung the daytime as needed. Might just take a couple of days for your pup to get used to it.

[krissn333]

Thanks for the info. I think one pill is enough. I will be speaking to the vet Mon. or Tues. and see how long he really has to take it. Seems like a lot of greys were taking it for really severe pain. Alan has pain in the rear legs & back area, and since he fell yesterday, the vet prescribed it. I don't believe I will give it to him long term, unless really necessary.

 

When my Fritz was on it for some pain management after he tweaked his neck and was screaming when he'd get up or lay down, he only needed it for a couple of days before he started to feel better and we discontinued it. Alan might need it longer since he fell, but I'm sure you can tell from his actions if he's feeling pain or not, so give him what he needs, and I suppose if it makes him drowsy it's not the WORST thing in the world since that means he will be resting his poor hind end a little more.

 

I would also be worried about him feeling TOO good TOO soon because then the incidence of reinjury could be high. It's not so bad if he takes it super easy for a few days

 

Hope he's feeling better (naturally) soon

[Guest ss556]

I was hoping he would get "used" to it -meaning the feeling of sleepiness or that it would pass. I will continue with either 1/2 pill twice a day or a whole pill twice a day and see how it goes. He wasn't himself yesterday but I'll see how it goes today.

[RobinM]

1/2 pill on a 90 pound dog, may not be giving him the relief he could get on a full dose.

[Guest Sassy]

Tramadol is the generic form of Ultram, which is a pain-killer used for moderate to severe pain. It is a synthetic opiate-like drug that IS considered a narcotic and can be addictive (translate there can be withdrawal). Because it is a synthetic, it is considered safer for long-term use than the regular opiates. It has the possibility of the entire range of side effects, including drowsiness. It's just that our dogs can't tell us if it leaves them feeling woozy or loopy or sick. Also, there are quite a few drugs which shouldn't be mixed with Tramadol.

 

It IS processed through the liver and the kidneys. In a human or a normal dog, when meds are taken they are stored in the fat, then processed through the liver. Without body fat, the drug goes straight into the liver,which can put extra stress on the liver. This is why greyhounds can't take many medicines that are fine for other animals. Tramadol should NEVER be used by anyone (human or animal) with kidney or liver problems. How many times do we see questions about the different liver and kidney functions in greyhounds?

 

It concerns me how quickly we'll give a narcotic to one of these dogs. Also, the doses I see given to the hounds concerns me. These dogs are about half my size, and I was prescribed 50mg every 12 hours for the pain caused by almost losing a leg in an accident (fairly severe). A dog taking the same amount would be essentially taking double the amount of a narcotic drug. What about the ones taking more? Doesn't it make you wonder?

 

I certainly don't want any animal or person in pain. However, there is a time and use for everything. Why use a shotgun when a pea shooter will do the job?

 

 

BY THE WAY:

NSAIDS are anti-inflammatories. They suppress the chemicals which produce the inflammation reaction. Often, if the inflammation is reduced, the pain reduces or leaves. Tramadol is a pain-killer. It only suppresses the feeling of pain. The recommendation is to use tramadol only is situations when NSAIDS can't be used. Don't forget it's a narcotic like drug. It would sort of be like taking Vicodin when Motrin will do.

Edited April 20, 2008 by Sassy

[Guest Tiz3]

I think the important thing to remember is pain control. Due to degenerative disc disease, plus 2 back surgeries, I live with chronic pain. I've been on Ultram (didn't help at all) morphine (helped a little too much) and now I take vicodin several times a day, and will take it for the rest of my life. It does not make me sleepy or anything, it just helps me cope with the pain.

We don't want our animals to be in pain. Give your guy the med the vet recommended. Do you trust your vet? You can always call the vets office and talk about your concerns.

Something that our dog's chiropractor recommended was taking a hand towel, soaking it in hot water (as hot as we could stand) wring it out, put it in a baggie and placing it over the needed area. Lily enjoyed it.

[robinw]

Loca was very thirsty every time i gave her a tramadol tablet.